Liverpool and Arsenal are locked in a two-horse race for the English Premier League (EPL) title, while the race for the remaining Champions League spots is intensifying.
Previously, only four EPL clubs qualified for Europe’s top-tier competition.
That remains the case, but a rule change means that coefficient rankings from Uefa’s three competitions – Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League – could earn a country an extra ticket to the Champions League.
Coefficient points are awarded based on match results – two for a win and one for a draw.
With six English clubs through to the last 16 of those three tournaments – Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa (Champions League), Manchester United and Tottenham (Europa League), and Chelsea (Europa Conference League) – England has 106.6 coefficient points.
Manchester City was the only English club that failed to qualify for the last 16 after losing to Real Madrid.
Italy (93.2), Spain (88.9), Germany (83.8), and France (69.8) make up the top five of the coefficient ranking. Only the top two countries will earn an extra slot in next season’s Champions League.
England could get a sixth spot if Manchester United or Tottenham wins the Europa League, as this season Uefa has scrapped the five-team maximum per country for the Champions League.
That is good news for those two clubs as they are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table – Tottenham is 12th with 30 points, one point and three places ahead of Manchester United.
In the top half, Liverpool (61 points) leads Arsenal by eight points, having played a game more. Nottingham Forest is third (47 points), followed by Manchester City (44), Bournemouth (43), Chelsea (43), and Newcastle (41).
As such, all eyes will be on the remaining Champions League slots, with Manchester City the favourite to finish third.
That would leave the other four teams fighting for one automatic spot plus the ticket via the coefficient ranking – which could change depending on the final results of the three competitions.
Of the quartet, only Bournemouth has never qualified for continental football. Even if it fails to qualify for the Champions League, getting to Europe via the Europa League would be a great achievement.
This weekend, Nottingham Forest travels to Newcastle looking to cement third spot, while Manchester City hosts Liverpool in the match of the week.
Arsenal can close the gap when it hosts West Ham, while Bournemouth welcomes Wolves.
Fixtures (Malaysian time)
Feb 22
Everton vs Manchester United (8.30pm)
Bournemouth vs Wolves (11pm)
Ipswich vs Tottenham (11pm)
Southampton vs Brighton (11pm)
Arsenal vs West Ham (11pm)
Fulham vs Crystal Palace (11pm)
Feb 23
Aston Villa vs Chelsea (1.30am)
Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest (10pm)
Feb 24
Manchester City vs Liverpool (12.30am)
